Feeler mechanism for looms



May 8, 1923.

' l. SNOW FEELER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed April 25, 1922 vE/v TOR .ATTORNEY ISO SNOW, OF LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPER CORPORATION, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

FEELER MECHANISM FOR ,LOOMS.

Application filed April 25, 1922. Serial No. 556,415'

To all whom 2'2- may concern: I

Be it known that I, ISAAC Snow, a'cltizen of the United States, residing at Lawrence,-'

in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Feeler Mechanisms for Looms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings. is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to fceler mechanisms for looms.

In that type of feeler mechanism wherein the feelei calls the change of filling my move-' ment of the feeler relative to the filling carrier in the shuttle on a detecting beat, it is essential that the feeler may be prevented from its movement to call a change of filling when a working supply of filling is in the shuttle and yet be sensitive to substantial absence of filling. and in such event eitect replenishment of filling. Feelers of this general type are now commonly known as side, swipe feeler mechanisms, and the feeler is mounted for movement in a direction longitudinally of the shuttle to call the change. Should the feeler move longitudinally of the shuttle on a detecting beat when a working supply of filling is present, the replenishing mechanism will be called into action and eject the filling carrier which still contains a working supply of filling, and waste will occur.

In feeler mechanisms of the side swipe type, the vfeeler is struck by the filling on a detecting beat and is liable to fail in its holding engagement with the filling and consequently call the change when a working supply still remains in the shuttle. This is particularly noticeable in connection with hard filling which, as it engages the feeler, as the lay beats up, is liable to cause the feeler to jump and fail to sink into the filling; and in such cases the change of filling will be called and waste occur, even though a working supply of filling is in the shuttle.

An important feature of the present invention, therefore, consists of means for setting the feeler into holding engagement with the filling on a detecting beat when a working supply of filling is present in the shuttle. Such means may act upon the feeler when the filling first engages the tceler on a detecting heat and then permit the t'eeler to partake of its normal frontward move ment.

In the drawings? Figure 1 is a perspective view of a feeler mechanism embodying the present invention, some of the parts being broken away for clearness of illustration; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the feeler mechanism of the present invention, showing the action of the feeler-setting device when the lay beats up and a working supply of filling is present in the shuttle.

The filling replenishing mechanism and the details of the train of devices between the feeler and the replenishing mechanism for eii'ecting replenishment of filling are well known, and as such details form no special part of the present invention, they are not herein illustrated and described, but only sufiicient of such train of mechanism is disclosed to make clear the operation of the stand 5 is supported upon the bracket 6 which is adjustably connected to the extension 3 from the shipper stand by means of the bolt 7. the construction being such that the t'eeler mechanism as a whole may be adjusted laterally.

The ieelcr stand 1 is provided with a slot 8 through which passes the bolt 9 for adj ustably securing the feeler stand to the bracket 6. The parts so tar described may be of any usual construction. the particular type of fceler stand and adjustable connections with the loom frame being shown as a good practical form of these details which may be advantageously employed in connection with the present feeler mechanism.

The feeler 1.0 is of the side swipe type, that is, it is mounted for movement in a direction longitudinally of the shuttle when, on a detecting beat. the filling is substantially e2;- hausted, and such side or lateral movement of the feeler is utilized in setting the train oi mechanism into action for efiecting a replenishmcnt of filling. As shown, the feeler 10 is of the inclined type, and enters the shuttle in a direction inclined to the longitudinal axis of the shuttle, but it is to be understood that while this character is em ployed in the vpresent instance of the invention, any-feeler having a side swipe movement may be used, in accordance with the present invention.

The teeler 10 has its rear or tip portion 11 provided with a series of teeth or roughened ends 12 which are adapted to engage the filling on a detecting beat and sink into the filling so that under normal conditions the feeler will not partake of its side swipe movement longitudinally of the shuttle when a working supply of filling is present.

At the rear of the feeler stand 1 is a bearing 13 in which is mounted the slide 14 connected at 15 with the transmitter 16, the construction being such that when the feeler moves longitudinally along the filling carrier on a detecting beat the slide 14 will be moved by the feeler and the transmitter 16 will set in action the train of mechanism for effecting replenishment of filling. The bearing 13 may be provided with a cappiece 17 for confining the slide in its guideway, and the feeler 10 extends through the slide 14 and has a limited lateral play therein, substantially as more fully described in the patent to Edward S. Stimpson, No. 1,309,226, dated July 8, 1919. 'Frontward of the, rear hearing 13 the feeler has secured thereto the bridge-piece 18 which rests upon the guideways 19 of the feeler stand. The front portion of. the feeler, which constitutes and may be termed the feeler stem 20, asses through a rocking bearing 21 mounte on a pin 22 extending between the bracket 23 and the feeler stand, so that as the feeler moves frontwardly it may swing laterally about the axis 22. Between the rocking bearing 21 and the bridge-piece 18 the feeler stem is surrounded by a spring 24 which normally acts to return the feeler to its rearward feeling position after the feeler has been displaced :t'rontwardly and as the lay goes back.

The details of the feeler mechanism thus far described may be substantially the same as the corresponding parts more fully described in the Stimpson patent above mentioned, although as hereinbefore stated, the present invention is not limited to use in connection with a feeler of the inclined type, the only essential being that the feeler shall have a movement relative to the filling carrier on a detecting beat when the filling is substantially exhausted, to call the change.

The lay is of the usual type and is not herein shown, but as in the Stimpson patent the front wall of the shuttle-box will be provided With an opening for the entrance of the feeler into the shuttle, and correspondingly the shuttle 25 will be provided with an opening or slot 26 to enable the feelcr to enter the shuttle and feel for the filling 2? carried by the filling carrier or bobbin These parts may be as usual.

When the end of the feeler or feeler tip engages the filling on a detecting beat, the blow of the filling is liable to cause the feeler to jump so that the roughened or toothed end portion of the feeler tip will fail to sink into the filling or come into filling-holding engagement therewith, and in such case, even though a working supply of filling is present in the shuttle, the deeler will partake of its side swipe movement or movement longitudinally of the shuttle and call the change, even though a working supply of filling is present.

The present invention is more directly concerned with means, such as a feeler setting device, for causing the tip or toothed end portion of the feeler to sink into holding engagement with the filling when the teeler first meets the filling on a detecting beat, and to insure such holding engagement so that liability of the feeler to partake of its side swipe movement and consequent waste, is avoided.

In the present instance the feeler setting device consists of a spring 29 having an end portion 30 extending over the front end portion 31 of the teeler, the construction being such that when the feeler is first struck by the filling, the setting device such as the spring 29, will set the teeth of the feeler into the filling. The spring 29 is conveniently secured to the rear bearing portion of the feeler stand in the present instance by means of the screws 32 and the end 30 of the spring which obstructs the frontwa'rd movement of the feeler when it first engages the filling may be curved as indicated in Fig. 2, and normally occupy the dotted line position in said figure when the feeler is in its rearward feeling position. Similarly, in the present instance, the end portion 31 01 the feeler is provided with an incline 33 which coacts with the inclined end of the spring to enable the setting device to set the teeth of the feelcr into the filling, whereupon the end 30 ot' the spring or setting device rides upon the top portion of the feelcr, thus permitting the l'eeler to partake of its normal frontward movement as the lay heats up.

, Where the t'eelcr is of the inclined type. as shown in the present instance of the invention, the front end portion 31 of the feelcr after having been obstructed in its trout ward movement by the setting device. may swing entirely clear of the setting device by virtue of the turning movement of the feeler about the axis 22 as the lay heats up.

llhcre the setting device is formed as the spring 29 its front end portion 30 is formed to projectin front of the front end of the tender and is preferably made of sutficient extent to insure engagement of the tcelcr with the setting device when the feeler is in its rearward feeling position.

Applicant believes himself to-be the first in the art to provide a feeler setting device mit the feeler to move frontwardly in its,

normal path of travel; and while the feeler setting device is shown in the present instance as formed by the leaf or plate spring, any character of device which will, 'in adfeeler in its rearward position, act to set the teeth of the feeler in the filling when a workingsupply is present,.is within the scope of the present invention.

"Vhat is claimed is 1. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler mounted for movement toward and from the front of the loom and also in a direction longitudinally of the shuttle and normally held from the latter movement by the filling on adetecting beat until substantial exhaustion thereof, a feeler setting device for setting the feeler into holding engagement with the, filling to prevent movement of the feeler longitudinally of the shuttle when a working supply of filling is in the shuttle on a detecting beat and then releasing the feeler for frontward movement,

and means for efi'ecting replenishment of filling when the feeler moves longitudinally of the shuttle.

2. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler mounted for movement longitudinally of the shuttle and held from such movement by the filling on a detecting beat until the filling is substantially exhausted, a spring for movin the feelei' to its rearward feeling position, means for setting the feeler into holding engagement with the filling to prevent accidental movement of the feeler longitudinally of the shuttle when a working supply of filling is present on a detectingbeat and then freeing the feeler to frontward movement, and means for effecting replenishment of filling.

3. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler mounted for movement longitudinally of the shuttle and held from such movement by the filling on a detecting beat until the filling is substantially exhausted, a spring for moving the feeler to its rearward feeling position. means in ad dition to said spring acting yieldingly upon the feeler for setting the feeler into holding engagement with the filling to prevent accidental movement of the feeler longitudinally of the shuttle when a working supply of filling is present on a detecting beat and then freeing the feeler to frontward movement, and means for efi'ectingngeplenishment of filling;

4. Ina feeler mechanism for looms, the

combination of a feeler mounted for displace-' ment longitudinally of the shuttle by the frontward pressure on at detecting beat, a spring normally acting to return the feeler to its rearward feeling position, a feeler set.- ting device which acts upon the feeler when it first meets the filling as the lay beats up to set the feeler' into holding engagement with the filling and then frees the feeler to frontward movement, and means for replenishing the filling when the feeler slides longitudinally of the shuttle by the frontward dition to the usual means for holding the pressure upon it. 1

5. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler which enters the shuttle in a direction inclined to the longitudinal axis of the shuttle and mounted for displacement longitudinally of the shuttle for replenishing the filling when the feeler slides longitudinally of the shuttle by the frontward pressure upon it.

6. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler having an engaging tip and mounted for movement in a. direction longitudinallyof the shuttle to call the change of filling, a feeler setting device which acts upon the feelei" as it first meets the filling in the shuttle to set the tip of the feeler into holding engagement with the filling and prevent accidental movement of the feeler along the filling longitudinally of the shuttle when a workin supply is present and is then moved to ree the feeler to its frontward movement, means for returning the feeler to rearward feeling position as the lay goes back, and meanslfor effecting replenishment of filling when the feeler partakes of its movement longitudinally along prevent premature movement of the feeler longitudinally of the shuttle on a detecting beat when a working supply is present and which is then moved in to another position to free the feeler to its frontward movement, and means for effecting replenishment of filling when the feeler partakes of its movement longitudinally of the shuttle on a detecting beat.

8. In a teeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a teeler mounted for movement in a direction longitudinally of the shuttle to call the change of filling and nor mally held from such movement by the fill ing on a detecting" beat until substantial exhaustion thereof, means for returning the feeler to its rearward :teeling position as the lay goes book, a feeler setting device which temporarily obstructs the :t'i'ontward move ment of the feeler' and sets the filling engaging end of the feeler into the filling to prevent premature movement of the teeler longitudinally of the shuttle ona detecting beat when a working supply is present and then frees the feeler to its frontward movement, and means for effecting replenishment of filling when the feeler partakes of its move-. ment longitudinally of the shuttle on a detecting beat.

9. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler mounted for move ment longitudinally of the shuttle, means for returning the feeler to its rearward feeling position as the lay goes back, a feeler setting device comprising a spring having a part which acts upon the feeler to temporarily obstruct its normal trontward movement and set the :teeler into the filling to prevent premature movement of the :teeler longitudinally of the shuttle when a work ing supply of filling is present and then frees the feeler to frontward movement, and means for effecting replenishment of filling when the feeler moves longitudinally of the shuttle.

10. lln a feeler mechanism for looms, the

combination of a feeler, a spring for returning the feeler to its rearward feeling" position as the lay goes back, a feeler setting spring having a part extending into the path of a )ortion of the feeler to set the feeler into time filling as it first meets the filling on a detecting beat and prevent premature movement of the teeler to call the change of filling when a working supply of filling is present and then frees the iteeler to its frontward movement, and means for replenishing the filling.

In testimony whereof, l have signed my name to this specification.

ISAAC SNOW. 

